We happened to be in Scotland when the new long awaited and no doubt very expensive Queensferry Crossing Bridge opened.
The 1.7 miles (2.7km) structure is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world and also by far the largest to feature cables which cross mid-span. This innovative design provides extra strength and stiffness, allowing the towers and the deck to be more slender and elegant.
The bridge and its opening was mentioned to us by several people whilst we were in Edinburgh and it was pointed out to us from the top of the castle when we were there. Several people told us that their aunt/mother/friend had been lucky enough to get tickets to be pedestrians on the weekend when it was going to be open for pedestrians to walk over. We didn't think much of it.
On the 30th of August we left Edinburgh heading north to visit FG's cousin in Canoustie. We put the address into the GPS and off we went. What we hadn't realised was that the bridge had actually opened to vehicular traffic that day - as a trial run - before it was closed again for pedestrians to use on the weekend and then be officially opened by the Queen the following week.
SO.... we got to drive over the bridge on the first day that it opened. The traffic was pretty slow as lots of drivers were deliberately out for a drive that day to cross the bridge. They slowed down to admire the view and so we had to crawl along for some time.
I snapped away madly as we drove over the bridge
The following day we continued north up the coast and near St Cyrus we turned off the road to explore a little by-way. In particular we had spotted a beautiful bridge which turned out to be an viaduct that is now part of a cycle path. The contrast between this old bridge and the railway bridge also visible from there was so very strong
A week or so later we drove across the Humber bridge
Once again I loved the cables stretching up, making their unique patterns agains the sky
At Kralupy, in the Czech Republic during our river cruise we had moored near a bridge built in the 1920s that was inspired by the Bauhaus movement.
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